i was here a couple of months ago or maybe last month, my life has been quite a blur due to things that are uncontrollable in my life. unfortunately i have not done anything to help myself since i last posted. instead of using the exercise equipment that was given to me i had to sell it in order to pay bills, nice life huh? so i found a buddy who wanted/wants not sure what he really wants, to lose some weight back in december. we both applied at the local YMCA and were able to get memberships at a discount due to our lack of funds. of course its been a month and he keeps making excuse after excuse why HE cant go. of course with my extreme social phobia i will not go anywhere in public unless its with someone or so late at night where the places are dead with no people. so because of this mess i contacted a local nutritionist so maybe she can help me with some things that i am desperately lacking, eating well, finding ways to eat on 200.00 a month without starving everyday. of course my own personal doctor has told me to start walking but my joints in my legs hurt after walking one block, so whats the sense? im just in sad/bad space and could use some kind words to help me get through it all. its real sad when a man cant even exercise for 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week, isnt it?

Hello Carbie.

I have been in some of the same situations that you are going thru now and I still am with some. I too am living on food stamps (been out of a job for 4 months now) and have to be careful what I buy at the store. (Walmart nearby helps) and I mostly live on eggs, Chicken (with spices) ground beef and as low carb low cost marinara sauce that I can find and lettuce. but it works. It is possible to eat on $200 for 1 it really is, but you have to figure certain foods and the price per meal. I also have friends that are not consistant and promise me that they will walk/exercise with me (and they need too too), but their life is different and their head is not ready to be consistant, so I have had to learn to do "it" on my own too. I have a bungie cord that I use for arm stretches (its worked too I have lost 2 inches on my upper arms since 1/6) and I do crazy dances around the house to music that I love. There are also workouts online "youtube" that you can do I am trying out Zumba. Lord that gets the hips Yowwsa. You just have to decided to just do it with what you have. I know that you said walking is hard on your knees and I understand that. I have had that heal pain for 3 months now Planta F*********** thingy. I started walking 15 minutes and have gotten up to 2 miles in 35 minutes since the start of the year. Noone says that you have to do 30 minutes right off the bat. Try 10-15 minutes on a sidewalk near you when its early in the morning or after sundown (wear light colors tho to be sure) and add a minute or 2 every day until you turn around and see that 30 minutes is no big deal. Just start small so that you are not discouraged. That is the whole thing... Don't be discouraged. You have the strength and the will to do it. To be a healthier person. Just keep telling yourself that. I believe in you!

is there a local food bank that could help you out with food? ...i feel for ya i've had many a time when i was incredibly broke....it will get better but i know it sucks while you're in the middle of it

in terms of exercise, if it hurts to walk one block then just start there...walk 3/4 of a block...walk that every day...or every other day...build some strength up and then push a little farther...walk one block a day...or every other day...do that for awhile....build from there

you can do it

Hugs

hey carbie, I'm in upstate ny too... that covers a alot of ground though. I'm between saratoga and lake george - anywhere near there? maybe you could join our walking group when we start back up in the spring.

$200 a month is doable for one person but it's very tight. I would look into food stamps depending on where you live.

As far as the social phobia you need to start pushing yourself to go places without someone else. I'm not trying to sound insensitive but you are unintentionally crippling yourself. You can overcome this phobia with practice and it's only to your benefit to be able to get to the gym (or anywhere else) without relying on other people to go with you. Yes, I speak from experience so I know exactly how severe anxiety feels but exposure therapy will lessen your phobia over time. I used to go over the edge in malls but I made myself go back over and over. Medication is also an option if you have panic attacks.

Good luck, I hope things get easier for you.

im in the watertown area, i know that isnt very close

I have social phobia/anxiety too. Medication has helped me a lot, but beyond that I've learned to do things one step at a time. If I think about everything all at once I get really overwhelmed and my brain just shuts down or I panic.

Like this: you can't go to the gym? Step one is get in the car (or whatever mode of transportation.). That's the only thing you should concentrate on. Once you're in the car, turn it on. After that, drive. then you're in the parking lot. Concentrate on getting out of the car. then concentrate on walking up to the door.

So on and so forth. I've found that if I use this technique when it comes to doing something I'm scared of doing that it gets easier and easier.

that is what i get in food stamps, i am on SSI. i only get enough to pay for rent, bills, and thats it

Oh, I don't know your work situation. Hopefully you find a way to make ends meet.

You're already living off of that amount of money for food right? Small steps! Start by not eating AS MUCH of the current stuff you eat. That cuts calories without having to buy anything different that you already do.

You don't need to go to the gym to be more active. You don't even need to do a half hour. Stand up for 5 minutes every hour and walk in place. If 5 minutes is too much start with 1 minute, then move to 2 and so on. If you can't walk for whatever reason, sit and do some shadow boxing.

You don't have to start big, you don't have to look at the big picture. Look at the meal in front of you and eat a few less bites than you normally would. Do a couple squats, or half squats, or some other body weight exercise that you feel is appropriate for your physical ability.

The following statement comes from a truly genuine place, so please do take it as such: Unless/until a person is ready to stop making excuses, it's not going to happen. EVERYONE has been there; not ready, not willing, opposition to every suggestion -- I've certainly been there. Some of us have more obstacles than others; some have medical conditions, injuries, special dietary requirements, medications that make it hard to lose, metabolic issues that make it hard to lose, but if you truly and honestly are ready you will make it happen. I wish you the very best of luck!

I'm glad that you mentioned this technique, I thought I was the only one who did it to get over my anxieties. I taught it to my boyfriend who has crippling anxieties and it has helped him immensely.

Carbie, please, try this method.

$200 per month should be doable. I spend a little more than $50 per week, but i'm not on a tight budget; if i tightened things a little, i could easily get below $50. Every week i look at the food ads and i go to the store that has the most stuff on sale. I stock up on the stuff that's on sale. You don't have to eat the same stuff every week. If bell peppers are 3/$1, i'll buy 6 of them that week and that will be my main vegetable for that week. The following week i might a lot of spinach (frozen or fresh, whichever's on sale). The following week might be a different vegetable. You get the picture. You won't be malnutritioned if you eat the same thing for 7 days, as long as you're getting a variety over time. I wouldn't rely solely on bell peppers as a vegetable for 2 months, but for 1 week it's fine.

You may think it's sad not to be able to walk 30 minutes at a time, but you are not alone. When I started walking/eating better on the first of January, I was a lot like you. But I got out there day after day, and now I can do over 3 miles. I even started running...shocking.

You can do this. To help with food costs, can you do salads? You can pick up kale or spinach for the base. I then chop cucumber, tomato, and carrots into the salad. Fat free dressing and protein (egg, shredded lunch meat, canned tuna, canned salmon) rounds it out. Sometimes I add shredded cheese. You can make a salad like this daily for a week and it really isn't that expensive.

Another inexpensive low cal easy meal I do is to get packages of boneless pork chops. When I make them, I use only lemon pepper seasoning and fry in a little bit of olive oil or spray. I use steamed broccoli and a slice of Texas toast on the side. If you don't want bread, there are plenty of other options you can use as a side.

Morning for me normally consist of one or two eggs scrambled with shredded cheese and italian seasoning. Another simple, inexpensive meal.

Keep yogurt on hand as a healthy snack, bananas, apples...you can do this!

Coming here will help you a lot. There is so much support here. The important thing is to just make your mind up and do it. Don't expect to be motivated daily...you won't be. On days that you aren't motivated, make yourself get up and get moving.

I just want to send you some s. Also, you don't have to exercise in order to lose weight. You can create a calorie deficit by eating smaller portions. You can also do exercises in a chair...you can google it. Here is an example: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/no-excuses-chair-workout. I hope you figure it out. Try not to be so hard on yourself.